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Nun arrested at Hockey's Sydney office

Joe Hockey's office called the police on protesters at his office. Photo: Reuters

A nun is among praying protesters who have been arrested at federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's electorate office in Sydney.

The group, part of the Christian movement called Love Makes A Way, entered Mr Hockey's North Sydney office at 10.30am on Tuesday to hold a prayer vigil and demand a commitment on children in immigration detention centres.

They say they won't leave until they get a timetabled commitment that all children will be released from detention.

Police arrived at Mr Hockey's office at about 1pm, and the group was removed and released without charge.

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A spokesman from Mr Hockey's office had earlier said the group had been "quietly singing".

Mr Hockey was not in the office.

Catholic Sister Jan Barnett said she was prepared to be arrested.

"I feel I can't leave without a commitment from the government to release all children from detention and to resettle them in a safe and nurturing environment," she said on Love Makes A Way's Facebook page.

"All people fleeing persecution have a right to seek asylum, it is legal to do so, and the Australian government has both a legal and moral duty to care for asylum seekers, especially children."

Retired nurse Margaret Coffey was also prepared to be arrested.

"Working as a nurse meant I saw first hand the devastating mental health consequences of locking young people in detention centres," she said.

A deal to allow Australia to send refugees to Cambodia for resettlement might reportedly be signed as early as this week.

In the past four months, 45 religious leaders from many different denominations have been arrested after holding prayer vigils in offices of MPs from both major parties.